Improvement in earth-closets



l19,6l0 t PATENT GEEICE CHESTER D. HOLMES, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN EARTH-CLOSETS.

Specitication forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,610, dated October3, 1571 antedated September 23, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHESTER D. HOLMES, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have made an invention of certainnew and useful Improvements in Earth-` Closets; and do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, duereference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical and transverse, Fig. 2 avertical and longitudinal, and Fig. 3 a horizontal section of anearth-closet containing my improvements.

The accompanying drawing represents at A a hollow closet or structure,whose exterior is a counterpart of a book-case or secretary, the uprightportion thereof being denoted by a and the horizontal portion thereoi`by b, the cover of the latter, which is in this instance the seat of thecloset, being shown at c as hinged to the upper front wall d ofthestructure, a door-way, c, being provided in such wall, through which apan, f, may -be introduced into the lower part of the closet forreceiving the deodorized excrement. The structure A is divided at itslongest or vertical plane substantially into three compartments-an upperone, g, which is the tank for receiving the primary supply of dry andpowdered earth, which is dumped into it through a door, h, applied toits front wall 5 a lower one, a', which serves to receive the excrementand earth; and a central and intervening chamber, b, which measures theearthto be delivered from the upper and supply-tank to the lower andreceivingcompartment. B in the accompanying drawing represents a duplexvalve, situated centrally of the structure, and being an uprightcylindrical block, whose ends are frusto-conical or tapering and shownat i and k, respectively, the upper one i of which operates inconnection with a valve-port, Z, formed in a horizontal partition, m,which separates the upper and central compartments of the closet, whilethe lower portion k of such valve in turn operates in connection with asecond valve-port, a, formed in a second horizontal partition or Shelf,which divides the measuring-chamber and the receiving-inclosure a belowit, the length of the valve with respect to these two ports being suchthat while one port is open the other is closed. The valve-stem isrepresented at p as rising perpendicularly to near the top of thestructure, where it is united to a cross-head, q, which constitutes theupper part and brace of an open frame or carriage, r, whereoi' the sideposts are shown at s and t as sliding in suitable ways or guides o fcapplied to `opposite end walls ot' the structure, and by which thevertical slidings of the carriage are guided. The rear edge of thecloset-seat c is pivoted to the lower extremity of each side post s or tof the carriage r, as shown at w, the said seat rising rearward at aneasy slope above the end walls of the lower compartment a. D D representtwo weights of like size as disposed within two vertical inclosures, oneat each side of the structure, these inclosures being produced by twoupright partitions, cc cc, which subdivide the upper portion of thestructure, and which constitute the end boundaries of themeasuring-chamber and tank g. Each weight is connected with the nextadjacent upper end of each post s or t by a rod, y, which passes about asheave, z, pivoted to the extreme upper part of the closet, the weightsD D serving to greatly overbalance the weight of the seat c and elevatethe rear edge of the same, the gravity of the weights, however, beingsomewhat less than that oi' the lightest person who may have occasion tosit upon the seat. Various devices may be adopted other than the weightand carriage hereinbefore explained for elevating the seat c. The lattermaybe hinged or connected to the lower compartment at its rear edge inplace of its front edge, as l do not confine myself to these details.

The operation of the above embodiment of parts is as follows:Presupposing that a supply of dry and powdered earth has been dumpedinto the tank g, a person sitting upon the seat c depresses the same,and by this act opens the upper port l and closes the lower one a, whichpermits earth to drop into and ll the measuring chamber b. Rising fromthe seat, the occupant relieves thelatter from his weight and theweights D D instantly elevate the valve B, by this act closing the upperport and shutting off further supply of earth to the measuring-chamber,and simultaneously therewith opening the lower port and permitting thedeposition ofthe earth within the chamber upon the excrement left by thesitter within the pan f, this earth being properly thrown upon suchexcrement by the aid of an inclned chute, c', which constitutes acontinuation of the lower valve-port u.

One advantage of my invention, as hereinbefore premised, consists in thefact that, as with each movement of the seat a given and uniform amountof earth is first measured and then deposited upon the excrement, agreat economy in the consumption of earth ensues. Second, oW- ing` tothe nature of the valve, in combination With the general construction ofthe closet, the earth is deposited exactly upon the excrement, and nomore is used than is absolutely necessary.

I claim- In general combination, the three compartments, g, af, and b ofthe structure, the valve B with its ports l and n, and the seat coperated by the carriage and Weights, under the arrangement and foroperation as herein specied.

CHESTER D. HOLMES.

Witnesses:

FRED. CURTIS, EDW. GRIFFITH.

